Saturday, January 30, 2010

JAX STATE RECRUITING SUMMARY

Here is a very unofficial list of JSU’s Commitments, Mid-year transfers and Top Remaining Targets. If you have updated better information, please comment.


COMMITMENTS

COTY BLANCHARD- QB, Cherokee County. #1 rated QB in the State of Alabama; Mr.Football in the State of Alabama; Gatorade Player of the Year; and Birmingham News Super 12. Son of former JSU Player, Fran Blanchard. Coty will play baseball at JSU as well and was formerly committed to Mississippi State for baseball. Coty was recruited by everybody, but developed a relationship with JSU coach Jimmy Ogle. This commitment should have a huge impact on the JSU program.

GABRIEL CHAMBERS- WR from Cherokee County, ledhis team to a state championship; 71 catches for 118 yards; 2 Star by Scout. Chambers played in the National 7 on 7 tournament and some considered him the best receiver there. He is a sub 4.4 guy, a little bit undersized which may be why JSU was able to land him. If you seen Gabriel play you know he doesn’t take any plays off and catches everything thrown his way. His cousin Damien Chambers is a wide receiver at JSU and another cousin is JSU legend Maurice Dupree. If Chambers' commitment sticks, it would give us a set of cousins at wide receiver to go along with the Whiddon brothers, John Houston and Rayce. Upon committing to JSU, Chambers said: “you have to love the college you play for, . . . that’s why I chose JSU.”

CHASE WILLIAMS- LB from Boaz, Alabama. Rivals rates him as a 2 Star player. Williams was highly recruited by SMU, Miss. St, & Lousville. Williams is a kid that looks for contact, motor never stops running. The Boaz coach said he was the best tackler he’d ever coached.

TRISTAN HARDIN - Hardin is a tackle from Erwin, 6-5, 300 pounds. Rivals has him as a 3 Star player that was heavily recruited by Auburn. Hardin has unbelievable footwork and is a very physical player. He is really good friends with Jordan Smith another talented player from Erwin that is on Jackonville State’s team.

MICHAEL LEWIS- A big Defensive Lineman from Orlando, Florida. Illinois had him on an official visit. Lewis committed to JSU on the way home.

JEREMY NICHOLSON- Ath, RB, WR from W.S. Neal High School. Nicholson runs a 4.45 forty and is a 3 star rated player by Rivals. He was offered by So. Miss, Troy and Memphis. Watch him on you tube.

TARIK MILNER- Offensive Tackle from McCeachern High School in Georgia. The same high school that produced long time NFL Tackle, Adam Meadows.



TRANSFERS/MID YEAR ENROLLEES

THOMAS DARRAH- Rivals 2 Star Recruit coming out of high school in Newnan, Georgia where he threw for about a million yards. Walked on at Alabama and was #2 on the depth chart for the national championship game. Darrah has an absolute rocket for an arm and is not afraid of competition. He’ll have it at JSU as Marquis Ivory is back and a heck of a player. Darrah’s transfer to JSU allowed Brooks Robinson one of the best athletes on the team to move to safety- a position where the Cocks were a little depleted after Cleezy Clark and Josh Cain graduated.

RASHAD SMITH- LB Fort Walton Beach, Florida. 6.0 ,205, 2 Star rated player by Rivals. Nickname is Spiderman because of his exceptionally long arms. Smith was offered out of high school by Iowa State & NC State, but found his way to JSU in January. He was Player of the Year in the Panhandle of Florida and MVP of the Florida All Star Game. Smith could challenge for a starting spot next season.

TAYLOR JOHNSTON. Johnstone is a 300 pound offensive tackle that JSU went after hard out of Chapel Hill High School in Douglasville, Georgia in 2009. The Gamecocks lost a battle for Johnstne to Georgia Southern, but after a red shirt year he decided he wanted to be at JSU. The coaches are excited about having him.



TOP REMAINING TARGETS

SHAWN WATSON - Defensive Line, Panama City, Rutherford High School. He is currently committed to FAU, but Jacksonville State remains in the hunt. Watson is a 3 Star player on Rivals. He’s a big, sharp kid. FSU, UNC and Arkansas were all after him as a junior, but a torn ACL may have provided a window for JSU. Watson is recovered and ready to wreak havoc. Watson signing with Cocks would transform this from a very good, to great class.

BRANNON BYRD. Byrd is a linebacker from Mississippi Gulf Coast CC and was 2nd Team all conference in 2009. Byrd is a very good student and a vicious hitter.

AARON NELSON- nose guard from Miss. Gulf Coast CC, the same school that produced Mount Cody. Nelson is currently committed to SELA, but is visiting JSU. He won the Harold “War Daddy” White Award at MGCC.

MARQUIS GEORGE- DE, Dodge City Community College. George is 6-2, 250 runs a 4.7 forty. Rivals has him as a 3 Star Player. If he’s anything like our last player from Dodge City, Kevin Dix, he’s a player. George is visiting this weekend. Lets hope for a commitment.

DALE TRIMBLE - a Rivals 3 Star CB from Gadsden City. Trimble is a lock down corner. He is currently committed to KY, but he’s got an offer from JSU. Trimble’s former teammate David Manness is at JSU right now.

ARMANI WILLIAMS - nose tackle from Navarro, Florida.

PIERRE WARREN- an athlete from Marbury HS. He has offers from UAB and USA. Rushed for 242 yards in a single game. He’s just a playmaker.

GARRETT SCOTT. Scott is a big offensive lineman from Coffee County High School. He is currently committed to Marshall, but JSU has beaten them in recruiting battles before -- (see T. Chambers).

Jacksonville Sate is also looking at a kicker transfer from Florida State. Stay tuned and lets hope our commitments stick and we add a few more between now and signing day.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Get to know Trenton Marshall - Sports

Here is an article from the Chanticleer on JSU Basketball Star Trenton Marshall

Get to know Trenton Marshall - Sports

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Bynum comes off the bench with big shot

Gamecock mens basketball won a squeaker tonight over SEMO despite a poor shooting night. In an exciting finish that had the crowd on their feet, Oxford native Jeremy Bynum hit a game-winning 3-pointer. Bynum didn't start tonight after being sick with a bacterial infection and flu for the past couple of weeks. Although he's feeling a little better, Coach Green wanted to cut down on Bynum's minutes to help him recover. Jeremy looks like he has lost a little weight. In fact, Bynum said his chest began burning after running down the court right after he went in for the first time.

In the second half particularly, buckets seemed hard to come by. The Gamecocks shot 6 for 25, just 24%. It was a physical game, and you have to credit the defense of SEMO. While the Gamecocks held a 5 point lead at halftime, we lost the lead early, and stayed 2 to 6 points down for the entire half, right up to a huge shot from Bynum with 6 seconds left. After calling a timeout and down by 2 points, the Gamecocks wanted to spread out the offense and try to go down low. SEMO reacted by collapsing the defense, allowing a little room for Bynum. Bynum put the shot up quickly, and knew it felt good as soon as it left his hands. Up by one, with 6 seconds left, the tight Gamecock defense forced a turnover, and after two free throws, won the game by 3 points.

The win puts the Gamecocks at 5-5 in the OVC. There's still plenty of basketball left to play, but if the season ended today, we are in the OVC tournament, as the top 8 teams will make it.

The next game is at 4:30 on Saturday. Hope to see you there!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Nikki Prier gets much deserved recognition

From JSUGamecockSports.com:

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Jacksonville State senior Nikki Prier has been named to the Amateur Softball Association’s Top 50 Watch List for the 2010 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, the ASA announced on Wednesday.

Prier, a first baseman from Raleigh, N.C., is one of 27 seniors on the preliminary list of favorites for the ninth annual USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award, which is considered the most prestigious honor in Division I softball. The watch list will be cut to 25 finalists on April 7, and those will be broken down twice more before a winner will be announced prior to the start of the 2010 Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.

“It’s always rewarding to see a student athlete that works so hard, both on and off the field, and plays the game the right way receive recognition for their accomplishments,” JSU head coach Jana McGinnis said. “This is a group of the elite players in Division I softball and Nikki is very deserving to be included. We are looking for great things from her as a senior, both as a player and as a leader.”

Prier becomes the first Gamecock on the watch list after earning Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year recognition as a junior. She was a First Team All-OVC and First Team All-Region performer in guiding the Gamecocks to a 46-13 record and the Ohio Valley Conference championship before winning the NCAA Knoxville Regional to become the first OVC team to advance to the Super Regional.

She led the OVC in hitting with a .379 average, while also finishing tops in doubles (20), RBI (50) and total bases (125). She also had 67 hits and belted 12 home runs en route to a .706 slugging percentage. Prier averaged 0.35 doubles per game, 10th best in the nation, to guide JSU to lead the nation with 1.83 two-baggers per game. Her 20 doubles were the fourth-most in a season in school history.

Prier enters her senior campaign chasing several of JSU’s career records. She ranks second in career doubles with 51, while also ranking four in RBI (122), sixth in home runs (30) and runs (120) and eighth in hits (184).

The Gamecocks, who were picked to win their fourth OVC title in six years in the league’s preseason poll, will open the 2010 season on Feb. 13 at the Kennesaw State K-Club Classic in Kennesaw, Ga. Their first home game will be on Feb. 18, when future Ohio Valley Conference foe SIU-Edwardsville pays a visit to University Field. The team’s annual Fan Day will be Feb. 7, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at University Field. The Gamecocks will be on hand, and free t-shirts, popcorn, drinks, games and other prizes will be given away. Admission to Fan Day and all of the Gamecocks’ home games is free.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Tristan Hardin Commits to JSU

As set forth below, mammoth offensive tackle Tristan Hardin has committed to JSU. Hardin is a 3 Star prospect that drew serious interest from Auburn.

Doug Segrest -- The Birmingham News
January 25, 2010, 9:02PM
Erwin offensive tackle Tristan Hardin got an offer from Alabama State Monday, but it was too late. The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Eagle committed to Jacksonville State Sunday night.

Hardin will take his official visit to the school this weekend, but was impressed on his previous trip.

"I like the college life up there. The campus is nice and quiet," Hardin said. "Even though it's noted as a party school, I didn't see a lot going on.

"I've got a chance to play with one of my best friends, too, someone I played alongside all throughout high school - George Smith."

Hardin plans on majoring in architectural design and business.


RecommendRecommend (0)
Print this Email this Share this:
Previous story: Mounties star Truss commits to Samford


Story tags: birmingham news recruiting | tristan hardin


Comments (1 total) RSSPost a comment

Posted by ygfjhg
January 25, 2010, 11:41PM
ya you got a chance to play with one of your best friends

watch live tv and livescore http://www.nowgoal.com/30.shtml

Inappropriate comment? Alert us.
Reply to this comment | Post a new comment

Post a comment (You may use HTML tags for style) Sign in to comment, or comment anonymously.



You must accept the terms of service before you can post a comment.

You must sign in to post a comment.



Sign in to al.com
Username
Password
Don't have an account?

Register Now!
We've upgraded our community features on al.com

Learn more! » Sponsored By:

Inside
Segrest on the SEC »


Browse by category
Alabama Basketball
Alabama Football
Auburn Basketball
Auburn Football
Baseball
Basketball
Football
hot_corner
NCAA Basketball
Recruiting
SEC
SEC Media Days

RSS Feed

Browse by month
Select a date January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 Browse all archives

Monday, January 25, 2010

Michael Lewis Commits to JSU

Orlando Sentinel.com reports that Ocoee defensive lineman Michael Lewis committed to JSU. He is a one star prospect by Scout and took an official visit to Illinois. There are some great clips of Lewis on youtube.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Get to know Jeremy Bynum - Sports

Here is a link to an article from the Chanticleer about baller Jeremy Bynum:

Get to know Jeremy Bynum - Sports

The Honors Continue For Blanchard

This is from Al.com

BIRMINGHAM -- Cherokee County quarterback Coty Blanchard led his team to its first state title this season, winning the Class 4A championship as the Warriors finished as the AHSAA's only 15-0 squad.

He added an exclamation point -- for himself and his team -- on Wednesday.

Blanchard won the 2009 Mr. Football award by edging Demopolis running back DaMarcus James in the closest voting in the award's 28-year history.

Blanchard passed for 2,916 yards and 35 touchdowns and ran for another 1,161 and 20 TDs in 2009 to become the first Cherokee County player named Mr. Football.

"It's been a magical year," he said moments after receiving the award. "To get it, it tops everything -- everything besides winning a state championship.

"Nothing is better than my teammates back home."

But the day was bittersweet for the Jacksonville State commitment.

Blanchard's father, Fran, was unable to attend the ceremony after undergoing emergency abdominal surgery earlier this week. Blanchard's maternal grandparents teared up and hugged one another as Coty Blanchard's name was announced as Mr. Football, while Cherokee County coach Tripp Curry hastily sent text messages to Fran Blanchard.

"I know it's killing him not to be here," Curry said.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Football Highlight Video 2009

Another great video by Snapsquad.

Click Here to open the video in a new window.

Friday, January 15, 2010

New Guys

Signing day for football recruits is drawing close. The last couple of years have brought some very good student-athletes to JSU. We expect this year to be the same. Several have given a verbal committment, and there will be more to come.

There are 3 student-athletes (at least) already enrolled in classes. Thomas Darrah was the first to be mentioned, and there have been local articles about him transferring from Alabama. This will be the third year in a row that someone that played on a national championship team will be playing for the Gamecocks. Another QB, Mike Whittier, has enrolled after transferring from South Dakota State. He is a dual-threat qb. See more about him by clicking HERE. The third person is offensive lineman, Taylor Johnstone, who transferred from Georgia Southern. Johnstone brings size to the line with his 6'5" frame. He weighs in at over 300 lbs. HERE is a link to a little more information about Johnstone.

Since these three players are enrolled, we should get a look at them this spring.

Another Quarterback to JSU?

This is hard to believe, but the following is an article from a paper in South Dakota indicating a former Air Force signee and top 100 QB is heading to Jacksonville State. If that's true, we will likely have 4 quality qbs on the roster. A far cry from two springs ago when we used a walk on.

SDSU football loses two QBs
RB Woods leaves for Iowa State
Terry Vandrovec • tvandrovec@argusleader.com • January 15, 2010

The semester switch is on again at South Dakota State.


Two quarterbacks that came in mid-year last year - Mike Whittier and Lee Mondol - have left the football program. Whittier is bound for Jacksonville State, while Mondol still is shopping his wares.

Their roster spots essentially have been filled by two new transfers: quarterback Jordan Thomas from Santa Ana (Calif.) Junior College and defensive end Zach Bowers from Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College.

Both reported to class Wednesday for the first day of the spring semester, while true freshman running back Walker Woods did not. He has moved on to Iowa State, the second time in as many years that the Jackrabbits have lost a young player to a major-conference club.

"We understand there's a need for junior college guys sometimes - that's the nature of the business," SDSU coach John Stiegelmeier said. "If you have a guy that blows out a knee and the other guys aren't ready, you can't stick your head in the sand."

A top-100 quarterback coming out of high school in the St. Louis area, Whittier came to Brookings after signing with the Air Force Academy and spending one season as its prep school. He redshirted this fall.

Mondol began his career as a walk-on at the University of Michigan before playing two seasons at Ventura College, and was No. 3 on the depth chart this season.

According to Stiegelmeier, both left because they believed the top job belongs to Thomas O'Brien, who started six games as a redshirt freshman and led the team to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

The situation didn't deter Thomas. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound California native earned all-conference honors as a sophomore, going 142 of 268 for 1,853 yards with 21 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

"He looked at our depth chart and said, 'I'm not battling a lot of guys,'" Stiegelmeier said. "He felt he fit. He was excited about being part of our football program, and he has the things we look for in a quarterback."

Bowers may have a more immediate impact. The 6-2, 245-pounder from Topeka, Kan., had 41 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks - most on the team - for second-ranked Fort Scott. He also had scholarship offers from East Carolina and Central Arkansas.

"He's a powerful guy and he runs well," Stiegelmeier said. "He's not an insurance policy. He's a guy we expect to come in and be in the top two, three, four guys and be in the rotation."

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Player To Watch For In 2010---Sam Eberle

Follow this link to an article about JSU Baseball player Sam Eberle

Player To Watch For In 2010---Sam Eberle

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Gabriel Chambers Commits to Jax State

The Anniston Star reports that Coty Blanchard's teammate Gabriel Chambers has also committed to the Gamecocks. Chambers previously committed to Arkansas State, an FBS team. Chambers is a 2 Star rated player by Scout. Here is a collection of what various sources had to say about Chambers:

From Shannon Fagan's article at www.prepgameface.com:

"Like Blanchard, Chambers said he "felt at home" during his recruiting visit this weekend. He said he knows a lot of the Gamecock football players through his cousin, former JSU receiver and special teams player Maurice Dupree.

Chambers de-committed to Arkansas State on Friday. He said it was a tough decision for him to make, but the opportunity to play close to home, and to continue playing with Blanchard, was too good to pass up.

"We've been together for so long, so why separate?," Chambers said. "It's not how big the college is you play for. You've got to have the love for the college you play for, the people, and have a passion for the game. That's why I chose JSU."

Like they utilized Dupree, Chambers said the Gamecocks plan to use his speed and talent in the special teams and receiving areas.

Chambers led the Warriors in receiving last season with 71 catches for 1,181 yards and 16 touchdowns.

As a kick returner, Chambers had 17 returns for 417 yards and two scores. He also rushed for 272 yards on 17 carries with three touchdowns.

"It was amazing to sit down with all the (JSU) coaches," Chambers said. "They told me it was kind of hard for them to find just one place to put me, so they want to play me on special teams. They also told me I could play some at slot receiver.

"That's what I wanted. Arkansas State just wanted me to be only a receiver. I talked with my family about it, and I feel comfortable with my decision. I wanted to stay close to home and get to the next level. Hopefully I can help them win a national championship."


From Scout.com:

"2008: Through 13 weeks of play Chambers had 729 yards receiving with 51 catches scoring five touchdowns. He had 13 rushes for 165 yards and two more touchdowns.

Scout.com Combine Results (full list):
Location: Atlanta
Year: 2009
Height: 5-9
Weight: 162
40-Yard Dash: 4.55
3-Cone: 7.93"

Coty Blanchard Commits to Jax State

Coty Blanchard, a 3 Star Recruit, has committed to play football at Jacksonville State according to the Anniston Star. Blanchard, who formerly committed to play baseball for Mississippi State, is a quarterback from Cherokee County. He led his team to a State Championship and led Alabama in the Alabama - Mississippi All Star Game. Blanchard's dad, Fran, played for JSU in the 80s' and organized a big reunion of 80s' players this fall. Here is what various outlets had to say about Blanchard:

From his biograpy on Scout.com:


2009 Stats: Completed 200 of 288 pass attempts for 2,924 yards and 35 touchdowns with three interceptions through 15 games and a state championship. The senior rushed for 1,141 yards on 153 carries scoring 18 touchdowns.

2009 Awards: Alabama/Mississippi All-Star Game, Star of Alabama Week Three vs. Hokes Bluff. Stars of Alabama Week 10 vs. Scottsboro.

2008: Blanchard continued his impressive career passing for 2,325 yards and 26 touchdowns and rushing for 907 yards and 13 more touchdowns during his junior season.

He was named Gadsden Times All-Area First Team QB, ASWA 4A Honorable Mention QB.

2007: Blanchard completed 175 of 240 pass attempts for a better than 70% completion ratio and had 20 touchdowns as as sophomore.

Coach Curry says of Blanchard "Exceptional player with a blue chip arm."

Awards:

Honorable Mention All-State for his punting ability 4A ASWA Junior 2007.

Week 1 Stars of Alabama (14-24 for 275 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for 90 yards on six carries and scored twice more against Piedmont)

From Tidesports.com- a service that rated Blanchard the 32nd best prospect in the State:

32. Coty Blanchard
Cherokee County High School (Centre)
6-0, 185, Quarterback
Scout.com Three-Star Recruit
Considering: Alabama, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Jacksonville State
What we know: Blanchard passed for 2,325 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2008. He rushed for 907 yards and 13 additional touchdowns. He led Team Alabama to the championship game in the Scout.com/New Level Athletics 7-on-7 Tournament in Tampa, Fla.
Bone says: Blanchard is a field general with a very strong arm. He may opt for a baseball career on the next level. He is one of the best signal-callers in the South, but size has kept the major football scholarships away at this point.
<

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Darrah to JSU

Tidesports.com reports that Alabama quarterback Thomas Darrah is transferring to JSU. At six foot six, Darrah will be the second tallest player on JSU's team, behind tight end Denzel Cheeks. Darrah was a 2 star high school prospect that drew serious interest from Illinois. The threw for over 2800 yards his junior year at Norcross.

It will be interesting to see what happens. Ivory seems to be a gifted quarterback and played well against Georgia Tech. Perhaps this means that Brooks Robinson, one of the best athletes on the team, will move to wide receiver or safety.

The report from Tidesports.com

Darrah to Jax State
Backup quarterback Thomas Darrah will have some new teammates almost immediately after the BCS title game, but they won't be wearing crimson.

Darrah said he will transfer to Jacksonville State for next season. The walk-on has competed as a reserve along with Star Jackson and A.J. McCarron, but figured JSU to be his best opportunity to finish his collegiate career. Darrah will not have to sit out a year under NCAA transfer rules because JSU is not an FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) program.

“I committed to Jacksonville State last week,” Darrah said. “After this game I am going to head up to Jacksonville Saturday and we'll move in my stuff and I start school on Monday. I wanted to go ahead and finish out here because I've put a lot of time and effort in, and worked hard here. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity here.”

The 6-foot-6, 210-pound sophomore from Newnan, Ga., will have two years of eligibility with the Gamecocks.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

SI.Com quotes Coach Stewart

This is interesting. In a preview of the Orange Bowl, SI.Com's columnist asked Coach Stewart about preparing for Georgia Tech. Here is what he had to say:

How do teams prepare for Georgia Tech's triple-option? I asked Jacksonville State defensive coordinator Greg Stewart, who faced the offense this season and when he coached Georgia Southern. Here's what he had to say:

"Their fullback [Dwyer] is unbelievable and the coach has been doing it forever, so he knows all the tricks of the trade and they're very impressive.

"You have to try and stop the fullback [Dwyer]. They want to be in second-and-four, second-and-five, the whole game. You want to put them in third-and-seven or more. You want to keep making them do what they don't want to do. You have to put as many as possible on the fullback and stand him up.

"[With Thomas] you have to keep one underneath and one on top of him. Then you have to try and stop the triple option. A lot of people play him man-to-man, but that doesn't work."

As we look back at that game, how much closer would it have been if: 1) JSU had Ryan P. for the game; 2) Tech did not get a cheap touchdown set up by a whistle from the crowd causing a busted play for JSU; 3) JSU tried to get overly aggressive on the first play resulting in a touchdown.



Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/cory_mccartney/01/03/ga.tech.iowa/#ixzz0bkIE1JTF
Get a free NFL Team Jacket and Tee with SI Subscription

Monday, January 4, 2010

Southeast Missourian Previews JSU versus SEMO

Tonight's game is huge for the Gamecocks. A win would put us at 2-1 in the conference. Here is what the Southeast Missourian had to say about the game:

Redhawks hope to fix slow starts at home vs. JSU
Monday, January 4, 2010

By Marty Mishow ~ Southeast Missourian
The Southeast men have faced uphill climbs at the Show Me Center this season
The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team hopes to rectify a big problem tonight.

Southeast has gotten off to slow starts in most of its home games so far this season, including Saturday when Ohio Valley Conference rival Tennessee Tech scored 16 of the first 18 points.

The Redhawks never dug out of that hole, despite twice pulling to within three points in the second half, as they suffered an 82-73 loss.

"We have to get off to a better start," Southeast coach Dickey Nutt said.

That will be the objective for the Redhawks tonight when they play another OVC home contest against Jacksonville State. The tipoff is set for 7:45 p.m.

Southeast is 4-9 overall and 1-2 in OVC play. JSU is 5-7 and 1-1 after Saturday's 50-48 loss at Eastern Illinois.

"We're going to come out with a lot more intensity and have a better first half," junior forward Jajuan Maxwell said.

Jacksonville State already owns a victory over Tennessee Tech, winning 83-72 on Dec. 5 in Jacksonville, Ala.

"If you think this one was tough, wait till Jacksonville comes in. They're an even tougher team," Nutt said.

Despite being held to just 48 points in a low-scoring affair at Eastern Illinois, Jacksonville State is third in the OVC with an average of 73.9 points per game.

The Gamecocks feature four of the conference's top 17 scorers, led by 6-foot-5 junior college transfer wing Trenton Marshall with a 17.6 average that is second-best in the league. Marshall was held to three points at Eastern Illinois.

Junior guard Nick Murphy, despite standing 6-3, is the OVC's No. 2 rebounder with a 7.6 average. He ranks 11th in scoring (14.3 ppg) while shooting 60 percent from the field.

After tonight's game, the Redhawks face three straight OVC road contests beginning Saturday at Eastern Illinois.